Do you guys think Cloud Gaming could replace console gaming eventually?

IMO I wouldn't rule out the possibility. I know most people in this community love their physical media far more than digital distribution and hate a cloud gaming future. However, its important to point out that not everyone are gaming nerds like us who value physical media. It seems like the mass gaming market is leaning more and more towards digital distribution, from what I heard it seems like nearly 50% of game sold on PS are more digital and the percentage of sales of digital distribution seems to be climbing for all 3 major console manufacturers, we have to see if that rise continues but it seems like more and more people are adopting digital media more, and these subscription services like Game Pass and PS+ are encouraging people to adopt digital media more.

I'm sure most of you don't want to see a cloud gaming future, however I feel like there may be a point where cloud gaming may be the better option than console gaming. Some of the advantages are:

-Not needing to purchase expensive hardware

-Maximize performance & graphics by using top of the line specs powered by a companies' data center.

-Seemlessly jump into a game with almost zero loading times(Although Xbox SX and PS5 kinda have this already)

-No downloads or updates, one of the biggest complaints this gen

-Play your games on any internet enabled device and anywhere

I know people will bring up the fact that internet speeds aren't fast enough, however once 5G becomes the standard there's gonna be a point where internet speeds won't be a problem anymore and we'll be able to stream games at max settings on any device.

I still think there's a long way to go, however I think if a company can execute cloud gaming right it could kill console gaming in the future, or at least coexist kinda like Project X-Cloud and Xbox.

Ka-pi96 said: no. Your OP doesn't even seem to know what it's talking about. Downloads becoming more popular isn't suddenly going to make people exclusively stream games. For starters downloads would have to become less popular for that to happen, the exact opposite of what you're saying...

My point is people are accepting digital distribution more, making streaming games potentially more acceptable since people are caring for physical media less and less.

If it is. Then the industry deserves death.

I don't think it will in the short-term. I mean, not having to buy an extra device and play games with much better settings sounds like advantages that PC gaming has had for decades and people didn't stop buying consoles. Also, how much time will it take for such high speed and high reliability Internet connection be available for the average consumer? How much time will it take for such Internet connection be available all around the world? And that's not counting what traditional console manufacturers would do. I imagine Nintendo and Sony would build their consoles around ideas not as easily replicable.

Yes, regardless if that's what we want, we have to think realistically here.

1) File size for games are only going to continue to grow

2) The cost of Hard drives (SSDs) on both the company and the customers is excessive

3) Streaming is already a thing that by-passes SSD space and game download times

4) Its cheaper for corporations to offer a Streaming Box than to offer hardware (Sold at a loss)

5) Internet is only improving, more and more people will get better speeds in time.

6) Companies wont need to sell their games at retail, pushing away the cut that retails take from overall game sales

7) It pushing gamer's to go full digital and use the console's eco-systems which leads to better overall profits.

8) No need to upgrade hardware for new media.

NOTE: I prefer physical media and to download my games digital, however that's the ways of the past which is unfortunate. Just like the movie business, services like Netflix has made physical media rather pointless now.

Will it happen? Yes, it's what all companies want.

Will it happen soon? Nope. The infrastructure and gamer's mentality isn't there yet. Just take a look at Stadia to see what I'm talking about.

That's the whole point of his point tho. "Will it happen in the future?", obviously not the upcoming generation which will start in weeks now, but by the end of the decade.

And Stadia has nothing to do with gaming or streaming, it was just a thing Google thought people may want, but nobody was interested in it when it was announced, when it was released and now when it's slowly dying.

Stadia has everything to do with cloud gaming. That's their main selling point and what they've promised since the start.

Stadia's success or failure doesn't determine what it is, like it happened with OnLive, Gaikai and the other attempts that happened before it.

It was sarcasm about Stadia.

And I believe Gaikai became the most successful game streaming platform so far with more than 2.2 million users

you will still need a phone or tv that can do these tasks >.>